Cycle theft is thwarted

A would-be bike thief was caught in the act by an off-duty policeman as he tried to cut through a chain with a pair of bolt-cutters.

Nathan Page (22), of the YMCA, Belvoir Drive, Aylestone, Leicester, pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates' Court to attempting to steal a £300 cycle which was chained to railings outside Street Record, Aylestone Road, Leicester, on October 15.

He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and told to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £15 compensation for damaging the cycle's lock.

Prosecutor Ian Johnson said the officer saw Page trying to break through the chain.

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"He seized and detained Mr Page, who freely admitted what he intended to do," said Mr Johnson.

Shanaz Patel, for Page, told the court the frequency of his offending increased when he was going through periods of homelessness.

"It is linked to need, not greed."

She said Page had struggled with homelessness since he was 16. More recently, his benefits had been suspended for six months and he relied on his grandfather and his girlfriend for help with renting a hostel room.

"He admits trying to steal the push-bike – there was nothing sophisticated about the theft. It was committed in view of a police officer who was going to work."